Spring training battles: Jacobs becomes Mets' starting 1B

The calendar reads April 1.

For many, the day becomes an excuse to pull off a prank and try to buffalo friends, fans or loved ones with witticisms and a tall tale. One friend of mine, a self-avowed "playa" (note the spelling), changed his status on a popular social networking site to read: "In a Relationship." Nobody was buying. There was a litany of responses to the post, but nobody took the bait.

There has to be some style and panache to pull one of these things off, or at least enough supporting facts to make you believe. Like the hype about an ambidextrous pitcher for the vaunted Yankees organization (Pat Venditte) before his outing on Tuesday. It could have been epic, but Venditte delivered. There was no punchline. Good luck to him.

I guess in today’s tabloid society, some stories don’t even get the double-take (what surprises you anymore?), and our Googling (Topeka-ing) abilities help to sniff out the falsehoods quickly. That is, unless you look to pull off the Lorenzo von Matterhorn.

That’s enough. May you not end up the victim of a prank that lives in YouTube infamy.

Let’s get back on the diamond with these latest position battles, real or fantasy.

1. Brian Roberts and Julio Lugo’s fantasy values/Baltimore’s shortstop

The biggest story on Thursday morning is that the Orioles acquired veteran shortstop Lugo from the Cardinals for a player to be named later. Lugo provides insurance in the middle infield (he played 30 games at second base last year) given the lingering concerns about Roberts’ health and the play at shortstop (Cesar Izturis and Robert Andino). Lugo batted .280 with nine stolen bases and 21 RBI in 88 games last season. He’s a low-end AL-only player if he receives regular at-bats. The move just makes the “Spidey Senses” tingle, as I ponder the 2010 potential of Brian Roberts.

2. Joe Blanton and Kyle Kendrick’s fantasy values

The Phillies had set their rotation with the announcement of veteran Jamie Moyer occupying the fifth slot. Last Wednesday came the news that “The Bulldog,” Blanton, will begin the season on the disabled list (his first-ever trip) because of a strained oblique. Therefore, Kendrick will get a shot in the rotation to start the season after all. Kendrick has pitched superbly this spring and was slated to begin the year in long relief. He’ll now work out of the rotation for the month of April.

3. Mike Jacobs is indefinitely the Mets’ starting first baseman/Jacobs and Daniel Murphy’s fantasy values

Murphy was slated to start the season as the Mets’ first basemen. Instead, he becomes the latest starter to hit the disabled list, as he’ll miss 2-6 weeks because of a sprained right MCL. Slugger Jacobs (originally a 1999 Mets draft pick) slides into the lineup in his absence. Jacobs is a nice, cheap source of power, having hit 51 home runs in the past two years, although his .254 career batting average offers little support.

4. David Huff is Cleveland’s fifth starter

Huff defeated Carlos Carrasco in a “loser leaves town” match for the No. 5 slot in the Cleveland rotation. OK, so Carrasco was optioned to Triple-A Columbus for more seasoning. Huff won 11 games for Cleveland last season despite posting a dismal strikeout-to-walk rate (1.6) and bloated hit rate (11.2 per nine IP). He’s nothing more than a roster-filler in deep AL-only leagues at this point.

5. Washington’s backup second baseman

The Nationals worked veteran infielder Cristian Guzman out at second base against the Cardinals, reiterating the point that Ian Desmond is the team’s new shortstop. Guzman has posted a composite .301 batting average in the past two years, so he does offer low-end NL-only value if he receives regular at-bats.

6. Alex Gordon’s fantasy value/Kansas City’s timeshare at third base

Gordon will begin the season on the disabled list as a result of the broken thumb sustained in an early-March slide. With Alberto Callaspo also slowed by an injury, the Royals will look to some combination of Willie Bloomquist, Mike Aviles and former White Sox slugger Josh Fields at third base.

7. Gil Meche’s fantasy value

Kansas City starter Meche is on the comeback from the shoulder and neck injuries that slowed his spring progress. Meche is slated to throw 60-70 pitches on Thursday and should be cleared to start in the second week of April. He’d pitched to a sub-4.00 ERA in back-to-back season before the struggles of 2009. Meche is a low-end draft selection as an innings-eater with upside if he can get past these injuries.

8. Huston Street and Franklin Morales’ fantasy values

The Rockies announced that Street’s throwing program was stopped altogether because of shoulder stiffness. The quote from Street says it all. "I’m not doing anything."

Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports that Street doesn’t have full rotation in his shoulder and that the team will begin building his shoulder strength before the closer begins throwing again. As a result, Morales is creeping up draft boards, as his run in the closer position appears to a longer-term job.